Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Battle Lines Are Drawn Over California Deal With Kaiser Permanente

KFF Health News Original

A controversial proposal to grant HMO giant Kaiser Permanente a no-bid statewide Medicaid contract is headed for its first legislative hearing amid vocal opposition from a coalition of counties, competing health plans, community clinics, and a national health care labor union.

How a Former Catholic Priest Is Navigating a California Medicaid Plan Through Big Changes 

KFF Health News Original

Michael Hunn left the clergy and became a hospital and health system executive. He’s been named CEO of CalOptima, Orange County’s Medi-Cal health insurance plan for low-income residents, and his spiritual background is helping him guide the publicly run plan into the future.

California Handed Its Medicaid Drug Program to One Company. Then Came a Corporate Takeover.

KFF Health News Original

The company awarded the state’s Medi-Cal Rx contract was taken over by another company, Centene. That left the state with a contractor it didn’t pick — one that has been accused of overbilling nine other state Medicaid programs and is now under investigation by California.

Record Fines Might Mean California Is Finally Serious About Improving Medi-Cal

KFF Health News Original

California regulators issued record fines against L.A. Care, the state’s largest Medi-Cal managed-care plan, for providing inadequate care to its enrollees. But whether the penalties are a sign that the state will make a more forceful effort to improve Medi-Cal’s overall quality of care remains to be seen.

Want Vulnerable Californians to Have Healthier Pregnancies? Doulas Say the State Must Pay Up.

KFF Health News Original

California was supposed to start paying doulas this year to help Medicaid enrollees have healthy pregnancies. But the benefit has been delayed because doulas feel lowballed by the state’s proposed reimbursement rate, which is below what most other states pay.

Listen: An Unsettling Investigation Into the Closure of a Chain of Pain Clinics

KFF Health News Original

KHN senior correspondents Jenny Gold and Anna Maria Barry-Jester joined KVPR’s Kathleen Schock on “Valley Edition” to discuss their investigation into the abrupt closure of one of California’s largest chain of pain clinics — and the patients left behind.

Changes to Medi-Cal’s Troubled Drug Program Reduce Backlog in California, but Problems Persist

KFF Health News Original

After a troubled start to the new Medi-Cal prescription drug program, the state’s contractor has hired staffers to reduce wait times for medication approvals and patients seeking help. But some doctors and clinics report that patients continue to face delays.

‘Injections, Injections, Injections’: Troubling Questions Follow Closure of Sprawling Pain Clinic Chain

KFF Health News Original

In May 2021, Lags Medical Centers, one of California’s largest chains of pain clinics, abruptly closed its doors amid a cloaked state investigation. Nine months later, patients are still in the dark about what happened with their care and to their bodies.

‘Somebody Is Gonna Die’: Medi-Cal Patients Struggle to Fill Prescriptions

KFF Health News Original

Problems with California’s new Medicaid prescription drug program are preventing thousands of patients from getting their medications, including some life-saving ones. State officials say they’re working on fixes.

Clinics Say State’s New Medicaid Drug Program Will Force Them to Cut Services

KFF Health News Original

On Jan. 1, California started buying prescription drugs for its nearly 14 million Medicaid enrollees, a responsibility that had primarily been held by managed-care insurance plans. State officials estimate California will save hundreds of millions of dollars by flexing its purchasing power, but some health clinics expect to lose money.

Layers of Subcontracted Services Confuse and Frustrate Medi-Cal Patients

KFF Health News Original

Many of the 14 million patients in Medi-Cal are in managed care health plans that outsource their care to subcontractors or sub-subcontractors. For patients with difficult health care needs, it can be hard to know where to turn.

Mattresses and Mold Removal: Medi-Cal to Offer Unconventional Treatments to Asthma Patients

KFF Health News Original

In January, California’s Medicaid program will begin offering nontraditional services —such as ridding homes of roaches, replacing mattresses and installing air purifiers — to some low-income asthma patients. But the rollout could be chaotic, with insurance companies struggling to identify groups that can deliver the services.

California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans

KFF Health News Original

The nine commercial insurers in Medi-Cal must reapply by submitting bids for new contracts. The state hopes the process will improve care for low-income residents and tighten accountability, something critics say has been missing.

Sin papeles, sin atención: migrantes con discapacidades buscan ayuda a través de demandas y activismo

KFF Health News Original

No hay estadísticas disponibles sobre el número de inmigrantes indocumentados con dispacadidades en los Estados Unidos. Pero ya sea que estén detenidos, trabajando sin papeles o esperando audiencias de asilo en el lado mexicano de la frontera, no tienen acceso a atención médica.